The Change

At present the level of education a child receives in South Africa is directly linked to the amount of money a family can afford to pay for school fees (Dr Gallie, 2015).

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The present situation

South African schools are ranked 5 to 1 by the South African government according to the wealth of the community in which they are located. Level 5 schools are generally based in the most well off well resourced communities, whereas Levels 1-3 are located in the economically poorest communities. Even though more than 20 years have passed since the end of Apartheid, a system that intentionally segregated education provision racially, Level 5 schools remain just over 60% ‘white’ whilst Level 1-3 schools are over 95% ‘black’ African.

With only about 2-5% of the South African population able to afford the fees required to attend the country’s top schools, just over 90% of South Africa’s 11 million school aged children are currently attending low or non fee paying government schools, where the standards and quality of education children receive is generally low.

With as little as 3.5 hours of teaching a day, children in the poorest schools – the majority of whom are ‘black’ African – receive almost half the amount of teaching time the same aged child receives in the wealthier, former white-only schools, where children benefit from an average of 6.5 hours teaching per day (Modisaotsile, 2012).

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The reality the research reveals

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Of the 11 million children aged 7-17 that are attending school in South Africa right now, just over half will complete their education. The rest will drop out along the way, typically from the age of 14, in Years 10/11

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Of the half that remain and reach their 12th and final year, just over half will achieve the 40% in three subjects and 30% in three other subjects – of the seven they sit – required to pass their end of school matric exams

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Of the half that that do pass, less than half will achieve a mark high enough to access university education

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Less than a quarter will go on to graduate from university (<250,000 from the 11 million that we started with!)

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We believe it is time we leveled the ‘playing field’

We’re dreaming of an excellent, affordable, inclusive and multi sensory education system, where children from every cultural, economic and racial background have equal opportunity to fulfill their God-given potential, because every family pays the same (percentage) of school fees according to their household income.

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Our Vision and Values explain how we aim to ensure that every child has access to quality education.